BACKGROUND: Dyslipidaemia is a key risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), necessitating effective statin therapy. Despite statins' proven safety and efficacy, adherence remains suboptimal, with significant gaps between clinical practice and guideline recommendations. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analysed anonymized health administrative claims data from six employee health funds in the Czech Republic, covering approximately 40% of the insured population from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2020. We identified statin-incident as well as prevalent cohort of patients. Adherence to statin therapy was assessed using the proportion of days covered (PDC) metric, with factors such as age, gender, sequence of use, and treatment intensity considered as modifiers. RESULTS: Among the statin-prevalent cohort (SP, n = 890,180), 83.5% achieved a PDC ≥ 50%, and 61.0% reached a PDC ≥ 80%. In the statin-incident cohort (SI, n = 287,871), a clear trend of increasing adherence with age and medication sequence was observed: in adults aged 18-39 median PDC rose from 84.1% (IQR: 57-100) in the first to 94.7% (IQR: 75.6-100) in the third sequence; in those aged 80 + median PDC rose from 95.0% (IQR: 68.9-100) in the first to 100% (IQR: 78.3-100) in the third sequence. Logistic regression identified age (OR=1.011 per year), female gender (OR=0.896), high-intensity treatment (OR=0.975), and second (OR=1.267) or later treatment sequences (OR=1.704) as significant predictors of adherence (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Adherence to statin therapy improves with subsequent treatment sequences and age. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to enhance adherence, particularly among younger patients. The PDC metric is recommended for integration into clinical practice to monitor and improve medication adherence.
- MeSH
- adherence k farmakoterapii * MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- dyslipidemie * farmakoterapie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- statiny * terapeutické užití MeSH
- věkové faktory MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
Background and Objectives: There is little information on changes in the process and outcomes of intensive tobacco dependence treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following characteristics were evaluated: interest in treatment, the number of face-to-face or telephone follow-ups, the duration of pharmacotherapy use, and the success rate. The aim of our study was to compare the number of patients who entered tobacco dependence treatment programmes and evaluate the one-year success rate in patients three years before and three years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A single-site retrospective cohort study using data from patients treated at the Centre for Tobacco Dependence in Prague, Czech Republic, between 2017 and 2022 (n = 2039) was performed. The one-year abstinence rate was validated by measuring carbon monoxide in exhaled air (6 ppm cut-off). Patients were divided into two groups: the group for which treatment was initiated in 2017-2019 (i.e., before the COVID-19 pandemic, BC; n= 1221) and the group for which treatment was initiated in 2020-2022 (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic, DC; n = 818). Results: No significant differences in the success rate of tobacco dependence treatment were found between the two groups (BC group, 40.5% (494/1221) vs. DC group, 42.2% (345/818)) (χ2 (1, N = 2.039) = 0.6, p = 0.440). Furthermore, differences were not found in sex, education level, age at first cigarette, the duration of pharmacotherapy use, or the number of in-person visits. In contrast, there was an increase in the number of telephone contacts between the groups (18.7% (SD = 17.5%) vs. 32.9% (SD = 18.2%), p < 0.001). Conclusions: The number of patients who started treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased by one-third compared to that during the 3-year period before the pandemic. The overall treatment success rate did not change significantly even with the increase in the number of telephone visits with the therapist.
- MeSH
- COVID-19 * epidemiologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- odvykání kouření metody statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- pandemie MeSH
- poruchy vyvolané užíváním tabáku * terapie epidemiologie MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
- výsledek terapie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
Although smartwatches are not considered medical devices, experimental validation of their accuracy in detecting hypoxemia is necessary due to their potential use in monitoring conditions manifested by a prolonged decrease in peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea syndrome, and COVID-19, or at high altitudes, e.g., during sport climbing, where the use of finger-sensor-based pulse oximeters may be limited. The aim of this study was to experimentally compare the accuracy of SpO2 measurement of popular smartwatches with a clinically used pulse oximeter according to the requirements of ISO 80601-2-61. Each of the 18 young and healthy participants underwent the experimental assessment three times in randomized order-wearing Apple Watch 8, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, or Withings ScanWatch-resulting in 54 individual experimental assessments and complete datasets. The accuracy of the SpO2 measurements was compared to that of the Radical-7 (Masimo Corporation, Irvine, CA, USA) during short-term hypoxemia induced by consecutive inhalation of three prepared gas mixtures with reduced oxygen concentrations (14%, 12%, and 10%). All three smartwatch models met the maximum acceptable root-mean-square deviation (≤4%) from the reference measurement at both normal oxygen levels and induced desaturation with SpO2 less than 90%. Apple Watch 8 reached the highest reliability due to its lowest mean bias and root-mean-square deviation, highest Pearson correlation coefficient, and accuracy in detecting hypoxemia. Our findings support the use of smartwatches to reliably detect hypoxemia in situations where the use of standard finger pulse oximeters may be limited.
- MeSH
- chronická obstrukční plicní nemoc * MeSH
- hypoxie diagnóza MeSH
- kyslík MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- oxymetrie * metody MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: There has been a noticeable relative increase in psychiatric comorbidities among smokers as opposed to the general population. This is likely due to comparatively slower decrease in smoking prevalence among individuals with mental health conditions. This study aims to assess the prevalence trend of past or current mental health disorders in individuals seeking specialized smoking cessation assistance. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective single-centre observational study to assess the presence of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar affective disorder, or schizophrenia in personal history of 6,546 smokers who sought treatment at the Centre for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in Prague, Czech Republic between 2006 and 2019. The study examined the impact of gender, age, and the effect of successive years on the prevalence of the mental disorders using Poisson distribution regression. RESULTS: In the studied cohort, 1,743 patients (26.6%) reported having one or more mental disorders. Compared to patients without a psychiatric disorder, they exhibited similar levels of carbon monoxide in expired air (mean 17 ppm, SD 11 ppm) and scored one point higher on the Fagerström Test of Cigarette Dependence. Among smokers with a mental disorder, women were more prevalent (62%) than men (38%). The prevalence of mental disorders increased on average by 4% every year, rising from 23% in 2006 to 35% in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the observation that the prevalence of smoking among people with any mental disorder is higher and declining at a slower rate than in the general population, there is a steadily increasing percentage of these patients seeking specialized treatment over time. Professionals who offer tobacco dependence treatment should be aware of the upward trend in psychiatric disorders among smokers, as more intensive treatment may be needed. Similarly, psychiatric care should pay attention to smoking of their patients.
- MeSH
- duševní poruchy * epidemiologie MeSH
- kuřáci MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- poruchy vyvolané užíváním tabáku * epidemiologie terapie MeSH
- prevalence MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- pozorovací studie MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: Premature newborns often require oxygen support as part of their therapy. Systems for oxygen administration are developed to assure adequate oxygenation of newborns. Several factors were identified in the systems that contribute to the time delay between the change in the set inspiratory oxygen fraction and its actual delivery to tissues. In this study, we aimed to reduce the physical delay in oxygen delivery to newborns. METHODS: We developed an O2 Flush System (O2-FS) that brings the source of oxygen as close to a patient as possible to make oxygen available for rapid delivery that compensates for the physical delay in the ventilator circuit. The O2-FS system is built around an electromechanical on/off valve. We validated the O2-FS concept in experiments with non-invasive Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) ventilators. RESULTS: The O2-FS accelerated oxygen delivery with all the tested systems and arrangements, typically by 5-15 s. We also observed that the application of supplemental oxygen increased the pressure in the ventilator circuit by 3-4 cmH2O which may mitigate the apneic pauses that are common in premature newborns. CONCLUSIONS: The O2-FS system may work as a universal accessory of the CPAP lung ventilator and shorten the distribution of oxygen to the patient during oxygen desaturation events, possibly eliminating or interrupting apneic pauses in neonates, for whom oxygen therapy is an essential treatment. In clinical practice, the O2-FS could help maintain normoxemic saturation values through adequate oxygen dosing in preterm neonates, thus reducing morbidity and mortality.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: The role of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has long been debated. Numerous studies documented its benefits, whereas several more recent studies did not prove superiority of HFOV over protective conventional mechanical ventilation (CV). One of the accepted explanations is that CV and HFOV act differently, including gas exchange. METHODS: To investigate a different level of coupling or decoupling between oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination during CV and HFOV, we conducted a prospective crossover animal study in 11 healthy pigs. In each animal, we found a normocapnic tidal volume (VT) after the lung recruitment maneuver. Then, VT was repeatedly changed over a wide range while keeping constant the levels of PEEP during CV and mean airway pressure during HFOV. Arterial partial pressures of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2) were recorded. The same procedure was repeated for CV and HFOV in random order. RESULTS: Changes in PaCO2 intentionally induced by adjustment of VT affected oxygenation more significantly during HFOV than during CV. Increasing VT above its normocapnic value during HFOV caused a significant improvement in oxygenation, whereas improvement in oxygenation during CV hyperventilation was limited. Any decrease in VT during HFOV caused a rapid worsening of oxygenation compared to CV. CONCLUSION: A change in PaCO2 induced by the manipulation of tidal volume inevitably brings with it a change in oxygenation, while this effect on oxygenation is significantly greater in HFOV compared to CV.
- MeSH
- dechový objem MeSH
- plíce MeSH
- prasata MeSH
- prospektivní studie MeSH
- výměna plynů v plicích * MeSH
- vysokofrekvenční ventilace * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Oxygen therapy is an essential treatment of premature infants suffering from hypoxemia. Normoxemia is maintained by an adjustment of the fraction of oxygen (FiO2) in the inhaled gas mixture that is set manually or automatically based on peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2). Automatic closed-loop systems could be more successful in controlling SpO2 than traditional manual approaches. Computer models of neonatal oxygen transport have been developed as a tool for design, validation, and comparison of the automatic control algorithms. The aim of this study was to investigate and implement the time delay of oxygen delivery after a change of set FiO2 during noninvasive ventilation support to enhance an available mathematical model of neonatal oxygen transport. The time delay of oxygen delivery after the change of FiO2 during the noninvasive nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (nCPAP) ventilation support and during the High Flow High Humidity Nasal Cannula (HFHHNC) ventilation support was experimentally measured using an electromechanical gas blender and a physical model of neonatal lungs. Results show the overall time delay of the change in the oxygen fraction can be divided into the baseline of delay, with a typical time delay 5.5 s for nCPAP and 6.5 s for HFHHNC s, and an exponential rising phase with a time constant about 2–3 s. A delay subsystem was implemented into the mathematical model for a more realistic performance when simulating closed-loop control of oxygenation.
Noninvasive techniques are routinely used for assessment of tissue effects of lung ventilation. However, comprehensive studies of the response time of the methods are scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the response time of noninvasive methods for monitoring of gas exchange to sudden changes in the composition of the inspired gas. A prospective experimental study with 16 healthy volunteers was conducted. A ventilation circuit was designed that enabled a fast change in the composition of the inspiratory gas mixture while allowing spontaneous breathing. The volunteers inhaled a hypoxic mixture, then a hypercapnic mixture, a hyperoxic mixture and finally a 0.3% CO mixture. The parameters with the fastest response to the sudden change of O2 in inhaled gas were peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) and regional tissue oxygenation (rSO2). Transcutaneous oxygen partial pressure (tcpO2) had almost the same time of reaction, but its time of relaxation was 2-3 times longer. End-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) response time to change of CO2 concentration in inhaled gas was less than half in comparison with transcutaneous carbon dioxide partial pressure (tcpCO2). All the examined parameters and devices reacted adequately to changes in gas concentration in the inspiratory gas mixture.
- MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- oxid uhličitý chemie MeSH
- oxymetrie MeSH
- reakční čas MeSH
- transkutánní měření krevních plynů metody MeSH
- umělé dýchání metody MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Manual titration of inspired oxygen necessary to adequately respond to respiratory fluctuations of the neonate is a challenging task. Furthermore exposure to high and low levels of oxygen saturations are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Ventilators that automatically control inspired oxygen based on pulse oximeter signals are becoming available, and seem to be safe and effective when compared to manual control. However the potential to overshoot in response to a hypoxemic episode, thus causing excess hyperoxemia, has not been carefully studied. We evaluated the response of one automated FiO2-SpO2control system to 9,486 desaturations in 21 infants over 113 days. We found that the sustained response to desaturations resulted primarily in achievement of normoxemia with balance between high and low saturations. We concluded that this closed loop control system was adequately damped. We suggest that this kind of analysis might be helpful is refining control algorithms.
UNLABELLED: Purpose/Aim : High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is a method of ventilation that theoretically achieves the goals of lung protective ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. It is characterized by a rapid delivery of small tidal volumes at high frequencies oscillating around a continuous distending pressure (CDP). Optimization of CDP is not an easy task and it is titrated empirically in the clinical practice. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the level of CDP consistently affects the shape of the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) response to stepwise changes in CDP during HFOV of healthy and ARDS-induced pigs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed two stepwise maneuvers of CDP in 14 pigs: one before and one after the lung lavage, inducing ARDS. For each CDP step performed, we fitted a segment of PaO2 curve with a one-term power model. RESULTS: PaO2 course follows shapes modeled by root, linear, quadratic, and cubic functions for values of PaO2 ≤ 110 mmHg and PaO2 ≤ 200 mmHg, before and after the lung lavage, respectively. PaO2 course follows a shape modeled exclusively by a root function for values of PaO2 > 110 mmHg and PaO2 > 200 mmHg, before and after the lung lavage, respectively. It is not possible to describe a relationship between the shape of the PaO2 course and the values of CDP. CONCLUSIONS: The PaO2 curve may give information about the level of recruitment of alveoli, but cannot be used for optimization of CDP level during HFOV in healthy and ARDS lung model pigs.
- MeSH
- analýza krevních plynů metody MeSH
- bronchoalveolární laváž metody MeSH
- dechový objem fyziologie MeSH
- kyslík metabolismus MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- prasata MeSH
- syndrom dechové tísně metabolismus patofyziologie MeSH
- tlak MeSH
- umělé dýchání metody MeSH
- výměna plynů v plicích fyziologie MeSH
- vysokofrekvenční ventilace metody MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
